Bol Bol signed a summertime contract with the Phoenix Suns. In 2022–2023 he had played well for the Orlando Magic, averaging 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. But Orlando’s fresh potential made the front management decide not to hang on to the adaptable big man.He hasn’t been in the Suns’ starting lineup this season, but he has been in eight of the team’s previous ten games.
Bol Bol had a great game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 55.6% from the field and finished with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Following a 25-point, 14-rebound game on February 23 against the Houston Rockets, that performance was delivered. Thus, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when standout forward Kevin Durant praised Bol Bol during a news conference after the game.
“He’s been more than I expected,” Durant said. “His intangibles, his work ethic, his IQ, all the stuff that I didn’t really think about when it comes to [Bol], that’s the foundation of his game.”
At 7-foot-3, Bol Bol has the size and versatile skillset to be among the most talented young centers in the world. He can stretch the floor (36.8 percent three-point shooting this season), rebound and create for others. And he’s improving as an interior scorer with every passing month. Yet, minutes have been hard to come by for him. That was always going to be the risk of joining a contending team.
Bol anticipated fighting for several minutes. But following two consecutive strong outings and a fantastic endorsement from Durant, he might receive some more chances in the upcoming days and weeks. He gives the Suns rotation size and versatility, which has been lacking from their squad this year.
Nobody is expecting Bol to become a starting big man on a championship team. However, being a reliable back-up for Jusuf Nurkic isn’t an impossible task. If he can continue thriving in Phoenix’s star-studded rotation, he could become a stud performer between now and the end of the postseason.
